Los Angeles - About five months too late, Gilbert Arenas made his season debut for the Washington Wizards.

After missing the first 73 games with a knee injury, Arenas started and collected a double-double in 29 minutes of Saturday's 98-96 home loss vs. the Detroit Pistons.

The three-time All-Star guard signed a six-year, $111 million contract in the offseason but had yet to take the court. He has been practicing at full speed for several weeks and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 20,173 at the Verizon Center when he was introduced.

"It felt good," Arenas said. "I feel fine right now. The stiffness usually doesn't kick in until the body settles."

Nicknamed "Agent Zero" and one of the most colorful players in the NBA, Arenas first injured his left knee in April 2007 and has undergone three operations, including microfracture surgery. He played in just 13 games last season.

When healthy, the 27-year-old Arenas is among the most lethal offensive players in the game. He has averaged 22.8 points and 5.5 assists in seven seasons, developing a reputation for clutch shooting.

Arenas showed some of that explosiveness with 15 points and 10 assists. He had a chance to win the game, running down his own missed free throw and attempting a three-pointer in the final seconds. It was partially blocked by Kwame Brown, who appeared to commit a foul although none was called.

"At the end of the game, we already knew where we wanted to go and what type of play we wanted to draw up," Wizards forward Caron BUtler said. "Everything was just flowing good. It was real good to get him back out here."

Without Arenas, the Wizards have been awful. Saturday's loss dropped them to 17-57, the second-worst record in the NBA. (dpa)